B-boy world championship due in Seoul next week

Jay Park, the former leader of K-pop group 2PM, will hold a special showcase with b-boy crew Art of Movement on July 2. / Korea Times file

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Tiger JK, Jay Park to give special performances

By Lee Hyo-won

Get ready for some of the most mind-bending, gravity-defying and joint-popping contortions, with the opening of an international b-boy tournament in Seoul next week.

More than 200 dancers from 16 countries will take part in R-16 Korea World B-Boy Masters Championship, to be held on July 2 and 3 at Seoul Olympic Hall, Olympic Park.

In addition to rowdy battles and solo dance-offs, the fifth edition of the event, sponsored by the Korea Tourism Organism, invites top K-pop stars to give special performances. The festivities will also feature art and graffiti exhibitions along with an open-air street market.
The tournament is considered one of the top five most esteemed b-boy competitions in the world. "Featuring b-boys from different parts of the globe carefully selected through regional preliminaries, and international rankings, it's a world cup for b-boys designed to determine the best of the best", said organizers in a press release.

For the first time since its inception, international preliminaries were held earlier this year in nine different countries including Japan, China, Russia, Vietnam and Kazakhstan. While participants from Korea were chosen through a regional competition on June 4, European and American contestants were invited by their standings in the world rankings, and will contend with international preliminary winners in the finals.

The first day will feature solo competitions of poppers, lockers and b-boys, along with a guest showcase by former 2PM leader Jay Park and his b-boy crew Art of Movement. The following day the official b-boy group competitions will kick off, followed by a special performance by the official spokesperson of R-16 Korea, hip-hop artist Tiger JK.

During the course of the event, spectators will be able to enjoy the Urban Street Arts Festival that will take place throughout the venue. This will include a photo exhibition for the fifth anniversary of the event as well as displays of hip-hop images and graffiti art. The latter also features an Asian graffiti competition and a rare opportunity to experience graffiti culture firsthand. In addition, there will be b-boy ciphers that encourage crowd participation, a hip-hop street market and various event booths.

The R-16 World B-Boy Championship is held annually by the Korea Tourism Organization as a means of promoting international tourists to visit Korea. It's now heralded as one of the premier urban cultural festivals representing Korea.

Performances, competitions and battles will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. on July 2 and 3. The Urban Arts Festival will be open from 1 to 7 p.m. on both days. Visit www.r16korea.com for more information (in Korean, English, Chinese and Japanese).